Sorry to All the Drivers I Doubted -The Fuel Gauge Can be Wrong

OK.  I hold my hand up and admit I was wrong.

In 2019 I worked for an Insurance company co-ordinating breakdown service for BMW and Mini drivers.

I was often told that the fuel gauge read quarter full when they started the journey but the car then came to an undignified halt a few miles down the road.

I never said anything to indicate that I thought they were lying it up but that is what I thought.

Anyway, I haven’t driven the Vauxhall Vectra since mid January. The insurance came up for renewal and frankly I hadn’t been driving it much and I have the Astra convertible so I took the vehicle off the road rather than pay for the insurance.

Yesterday, having insured the motor, I went to start it up.  The plan was to go to the shops the Vectra being a much easier car to load with groceries etc.   No bother.  Started straight away.  Fuel showing a quarter tank and fuel warning on steady.  In the back of my head I remembered that she had little fuel when I parked the car on the drive all those weeks ago so my first journey was to be to the Tesco petrol station about half a mile away.  Strange that we call them petrol stations when a high proportion of cars use diesel.

After a few minutes warming up the engine started to misfire.  I thought, fair enough, it probably just needs a run out;  And then it stopped.  Attempting to re-start just discharged the battery. Gauge still on quarter and fuel warning on steady.

I decided that regardless of these readings she probably craved more diesel so I went to the garage in the Astra for a gallon (4.5L) of diesel.  I poured the life giving fluid into the tank.

On turning the key I now saw the fuel reading was empty, not just normal empty but off the scale and the fuel warning light flashing declaring me guilty.  Not enough battery power to turn the engine over.  No problem just moved the Astra close and connected the jump leads.  Started the Astra and after a couple of minutes the Vectra fired up.

My breakdown training said a car, especially a diesel engine vehicle, which has run out of fuel, won’t start without intervention from a mechanic; but my car hasn’t read the book.  Not quite running right probably air in the fuel line but running again.  It runs normally now I have filled the tank.  Happy days, indeed.

Waiting for the rain to stop so I can give it a much needed clean.

UPDATE

The other issue with this car is that when it was snowing I made the serious error  of trying to clear the snow with the wipers.  Due to the ice on the screen the linkage to the passenger side device popped out.

It’s a simple ball and socket joint and all you need to do is reconnect it.  There, are of course, complications.

To get to the joint you have to remove the wiper arms.  Each has a nut holding the arm onto the output shaft just needs to be removed and the arm lifts off.  Not on my car.  Completely seized.  Took at least an hour to free it with easing oil and applying heat.  Anyway the arms have been detached.  The plastic cover lifts fairly easily and I reach in and reconnect the ball joint.

Success.  Both output shafts turn.  But now reassembly is not straightforward.  I remember well when in metal-work classes at school.  Start the nut by hand to ensure that you don’t cross thread the bolt or screw that you are attaching it to.  Got one back on but the other nut disappeared into the engine compartment never to be seen again.

So off to the Vauxhall dealer to buy another nut.  £1.18 seems not unreasonable so headed home with the new part.  Could I screw it onto the shaft?  No chance.

Plan A

I decided as a replacement assembly was only £15 I would buy another wiper motor and mechanism.  I also had to buy an E8 socket as there are 3 such screws holding the whole caboodle in place.

These both duly arrived in a few days.  The wiper motor system looked similar to the existing part so I attempted to swap them.  First of all it was obvious that the electrical connections were different.  No big deal; I cut the connector off the old one and wired it up to the new one.  Having checked that the threads on the shafts were good I tried to fit the whole assembly to the car.

Disaster.  The frame was not the same.

Plan B.

I decide to rethread the original shafts and put it back as it was.  Off to Europarts to buy a tap and die kit.  Local branch didn’t have any so off to Warrington.

It took about an hour to get the damaged thread sorted and just to make sure I also cleaned up the other shaft’s thread with the tap.  Put it all back in the car and connected it all up.  Jobs a good ‘un.

Both wipers now work.  Hopefully the joint that sprung out still has a bit of life in  it.

Later that day we decided to go to Asda.  This is about 4 miles from home.  The car wouldn’t start so I connect the battery charger.  After about an hour she started first time.  The fuel light is flashing and the gauge reads nil.  Strange, I thought as (see above) I had already filled the tank.  With 65 L of diesel it was reading empty.

It is probably relevant that since the first part of this blog the car had only been driven 1.5 miles to the petrol station and back.  Strange we call it a petrol station even if we are buying diesel.

Anyway, with the fuel can stowed in the back we merrily head off towards Asda.  As I drive the fuel gauge starts to rise.  At 1 mile it reads 1/4.  At 3 miles it reads just above 1/2;  lying to me again.  No problem getting to Asda.  All going swimmingly.

But she hasn’t finished with me yet.  We pop into another shop on the way home and now she won’t start.

We walk home, about 1 1/2 miles, to get the other car and drive back to the store.

She starts OK with jump leads.  The fuel gauge is now above the full mark.

So cars can lie about how much is in the tank both when it’s empty and when it’s full.

So home with the groceries and collect the Astra in the morning.